Citation or identification of any reference herein, or any section of this application shall not be construed as an admission that such reference is available as prior art to the present application.
There are three types of influenza viruses Influenza A, B, and C. Influenza types A or B viruses cause epidemics of disease almost every winter. In the United States, these winter influenza epidemics can cause illness in 10% to 20% of people and are associated with an average of 36,000 deaths and 114,000 hospitalizations per year. Influenza type C infections cause a mild respiratory illness and are not thought to cause epidemics. Influenza type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus. These proteins are termed hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on these two proteins. There are 16 different hemagglutinin subtypes H1, H2, H3, H4, H6, H7, H8, H9 H10 H11 H12, H13, H14, H15 or H16 and 9 different neuraminidase subtypes N1 N2 N3 N4 N5 N6 N7 N8 or N9, all of which have been found among influenza A viruses in wild birds. Wild birds are the primary natural reservoir for all subtypes of influenza A viruses and are thought to be the source of influenza A viruses in all other animals. The current subtypes of influenza A viruses found in people are A(H1N1) and A(H3N2). Influenza B virus is not divided into subtypes.
In 1918, a new highly pathogenic influenza H1N1 pandemic swept the world, killing an estimated 20 and 50 million people. The H1N1 subtype circulated from 1918 until 1957 which then was replaced by viruses of the H2N2 subtype, which continued to circulate until 1968. Since 1968, H3N2 viruses have been found in the population. Because H1N1 viruses returned in 1977, two influenza A viruses are presently co-circulating (Palese and Garcia-Sarstre J Clin Invest, July 2002, Volume 110, Number 1, 9-13). The pathogenicity of the initial 1918 H1N1 has not been equaled by any of the latter H1N1, H2N2 or H3N2 subtypes, although infection from some subtypes can be severe and result in death. By molecular reconstruction, the genome of the 1918 flu including the amino acid sequences of the H1 and N1 antigens is now known (Kaiser, Science 310: 28-29, 2005; Tumpey et al., Science 310: 77-81, 2005).
In 1997, 2003, and again in 2004, antigenically-distinct avian H5N1 influenza viruses emerged as pandemic threats to human beings. During each of these outbreaks there was concern that the avian viruses would adapt to become transmissible from human to human. Furthermore, oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) was ineffective in 50% of avian influenza patients in Thailand (Tran et al. N. Engl. J. Med 350: 1179, 2004) and a new mutation in the neuraminidase has been identified which causes resistance to oseltamivir. Sequence analysis of the neuraminidase gene revealed the substitution of tyrosine for histidine at amino acid position 274 (H274Y), associated with high-level resistance to oseltamivir in influenza (N1) viruses (Gubareva et al., Selection of influenza virus mutants in experimentally infected volunteers treated with oseltamivir. J Infect Dis 2001; 183:523-531; de Jong et al., Oseltamivir Resistance during Treatment of Influenza A (H5N1) Infection. N. Engl. J. Med. 353:2667-2672, 2005). Such changes may alter the antigenic nature of the protein and reduce the effectiveness of vaccines not matched to the new variant. Other avian influenza strains of potential danger include H1N1, H7N7 and H9N2.
The optimum way of dealing with a human pandemic virus would be to provide a clinically approved well-matched vaccine (i.e., containing the hemagglutinin and/or neuraminidase antigens of the emerging human pandemic strain), but this cannot easily be achieved on an adequate timescale because of the time consuming method of conventional influenza vaccine production in chicken eggs.
2.1 Live Bacterial Vaccine Vectors
Live attenuated bacterial vaccine vectors offer an important alternative to conventional chicken egg based vaccines. Growth on embryonated hen eggs, followed by purification of viruses from allantoic fluid, is the method by which influenza virus has traditionally been grown for vaccine production. More recently, viruses have been grown on cultured cell lines, which avoids the need to prepare virus strains that are adapted to growth on eggs and avoids contamination of the final vaccine with egg proteins. However, because some of the vaccine virus may be produced in canine tumor cells (e.g., MDCK), there is concern for contamination of the vaccine by cancer causing elements. Moreover, both must undergo a labor intensive and technically challenging purification process, with a total production time of 3 to 6 months. Because of the time factors and scale-up, these vaccines are produced in large, but finite batches. Meeting a world-wide demand requires stockpiling of multiple batches. Therefore, traditionally produced vaccine produced before a pandemic, would likely be generated based upon an avian influenza virus and its antigens more than a year earlier and therefore may not be well matched to an emerging variant and could result in only partial protection. Bacterial vectors self replicate in simple growth media can be produced extremely rapidly by virtue of exponential growth and require minimal purification such as a single centrifugation and resuspension in a pharmaceutically acceptable excipient.
Human studies have shown that antibody titres against hemagglutinin of human influenza virus are correlated with protection (a serum sample hemagglutination-inhibition titre of about 30-40 gives around 50% protection from infection by a homologous virus) (Potter & Oxford (1979) Br Med Bull 35: 69-75). Antibody responses are typically measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting, hemagglutination inhibition, by microneutralisation, by single radial immunodiffusion (SRID), and/or by single radial hemolysis (SRH). These assay techniques are well known in the art.
Salmonella bacteria have been recognized as being particularly useful as live “host” vectors for orally administered vaccines because these bacteria are enteric organisms that, when ingested, can infect and persist in the gut (especially the intestines) of humans and animals.
As a variety of Salmonella bacteria are known to be highly virulent to most hosts, e.g., causing typhoid fever or severe diarrhea in humans and other mammals, the virulence of Salmonella bacterial strains toward an individual that is targeted to receive a vaccine composition must be attenuated. Attenuation of virulence of a bacterium is not restricted to the elimination or inhibition of any particular mechanism and may be obtained by mutation of one or more genes in the Salmonella genome (which may include chromosomal and non-chromosomal genetic material). Thus, an “attenuating mutation” may comprise a single site mutation or multiple mutations that may together provide a phenotype of attenuated virulence toward a particular host individual who is to receive a live vaccine composition for Avian Influenza. In recent years, a variety of bacteria and, particularly, serovars of Salmonella enterica, have been developed that are attenuated for pathogenic virulence in an individual (e.g., humans or other mammals), and thus proposed as useful for developing various live bacterial vaccines (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,389,368; 5,468,485; 5,387,744; 5,424,065; Zhang-Barber et al., Vaccine, 17; 2538-2545 (1999); all expressly incorporated herein by reference). In the case of strains of Salmonella, mutations at a number of genetic loci have been shown to attenuate virulence including, but not limited to, the genetic loci phoP, phoQ, cdt, cya, crp, poxA, rpoS, htrA, nuoG, pmi, pabA, pts, damA, purA, purB, purl, zwf, aroA, aroC, gua, cadA, rfc, rjb, rfa, ompR, msbB and combinations thereof.
Bacterial flagella are known to be antigenic and subject to antigenic or phase variation which is believed to help a small portion of the bacteria in escaping the host immune response. The bacterial flagellar antigens are referred to as the H1 and H2 antigens. To avoid confusion with the viral hemagglutinin H antigen, the bacterial flagellar H antigen will be referred to as fH henceforth. Because the Salmonella-based vaccination of a heterologous antigen is dependent upon the bacteria's ability to colonize the gut, which may be reduced do to the initial immune response, the vaccination ability of the second immunization may be diminished due to an immune response to the vector. In Salmonella, Hin invertase belongs to the recombinase family, which includes Gin invertase from phage Mu, Cin invertase from phage P1, and resolvases from Tn3 and the transposon (Glasgow et al. 1989, p. 637-659. In, D. E. Berg, and M. M. Howe (ed.), Mobile DNA. American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C.). Hin promotes the inversion of a chromosomal DNA segment of 996 bp that is flanked by the 26-bp DNA sequences of hixL and hixR (Johnson and Simon. 1985. Cell 41:781-791). Hin-mediated DNA inversion in S. typhimurium leads to the alternative expression of the fH1 and fH2 flagellin genes known as phase variation. Hin (21 kDa) exists in solution as a homodimer and binds to hix sites as a dimer (Glasgow et al. 1989. J. Biol. Chem. 264:10072-10082). In addition to Hin and the two hix sites, a cis-acting DNA sequence (recombinational enhancer) and its binding protein (Fis, 11 kDa) are required for efficient inversion in vitro (Johnson et al. 1986. Cell 46:531-539). Live Salmonella vaccines have not had deletions of the hin gene nor defined fH1 or fH2 antigens, nor have they been constructed such that they lack fH antigens altogether. Accordingly, live Salmonella vaccines have not been constructed to maximize a prime-boost strategy which alternates or eliminates the fH antigen whereby the immune response of the fH antigen of the first immunization (prime) is not specific for the anigen of the second immunization (boost). Therefore, the boost immunization is not diminished by a rapid elimination by the immune system, and is therefore able to persist longer and more effectively present the immunizing antigen.
Introduction of viral genes into bacteria results in genetically engineered microorganisms (GEMs) for which there may be concern regarding containment of the introduced gene in the environment and its ability to reassort. Such genes could in theory provide virulence factors to non-pathogenic or less pathogenic viral strains if allowed to recombine under circumstances were the bacterial vaccine could co-occur at the same time in the same individual as a wild type viral infection. Thus, methods that reduce bacterial recombination and increase bacterial genetic isolation are desirable.
Insertion sequences (IS) are genetic elements that can insert copies of themselves into different sites in a genome. These elements can also mediate various chromosomal rearrangements, including inversions, deletions and fusion of circular DNA segments and alter the expression of adjacent genes. IS200 elements are found in most Salmonella species. S. typhimurium strain LT2 has six IS200s. Salmonella typhimurium strain 14028 has been described to possess an additional IS200 element at centisome 17.7 which is absent in other commonly studied Salmonella strains LT2 and SL1344 (Murray et al., 2004 Journal of Bacteriology, 186: 8516-8523). These authors describe a spontaneous hot spot (high frequency) deletion of the Cs 17.7 to Cs 19.9 region. Live Salmonella vaccines have not had deletions of IS200 elements which would limit such recombination events.
Salmonella strains are known to possess phage and prophage elements. Such phage are often capable of excision and infection of other susceptible strains and are further capable of transferring genes from one strain by a process known as transduction. Live Salmonella vaccines have not had deletions in phage elements such as phage recombinases which exist in Salmonella, such that the phage are no longer capable of excsion and reinfection of other susceptible strains.
Salmonella strains are known to be capable of being infected by bacteria phage. Such phage have the potential to carry genetic elements from one Salmonella strain to another. Live Salmonella vaccines have not comprised mechanisms to limit phage infection such as the implantation and constitutive expression of the P22 phage repressor C2.
Bacterial expression of the viral hemagglutinin genes was first described by Heiland and Gething (Nature 292: 581-582, 1981) and Davis et al., (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78: 5376-5380). These authors suggest that the recombinant protein could be used as a vaccine without regard to the fact that the viral genetic loci are not optimal for bacterial expression. These authors did not suggest the use of live bacterial vectors as vaccine carriers, such as the genetically stabilized and isolated vectors of the present application, nor the use of defined flagellar antigens or no flagellar antigens. Nor did these authors suggest the use of secreted proteins.
Use of secreted proteins in live bacterial vectors has been demonstrated by several authors. Holland et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,830, expressly incorporated herein by reference) have illustrated the use of fusions with the C-terminal portion of the hemolysin A (hlyA) gene. When co-expressed in the presence of the hemolysin protein secretion channel (hlyBD), heterologous fusions are readily secreted from the bacteria. Similarly, Galen et al. (Infection and Immunity 2004 72: 7096-7106) have shown that heterologous fusions to the ClyA are secreted and immunogenic. Other heterologous protein secretion systems include the use of the autotransporter family. For example, Veiga et al. (2003 Journal of Bacterilogy 185: 5585-5590) demonstrated hybrid proteins containing the b-autotransporter domain of the immunoglogulin A (IgA) protease of Nisseria gonorrhoea. 
Bacterial expression of the viral hemagglutinin genes was first described by Heiland and Gething (Nature 292: 581-582, 1981) and Davis et al., (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 78: 5376-5380). These authors teach that the antigens may be purified from the bacteria in order to be used as vaccines and did not suggest the use of live attenuated bacterial vectors. Furthermore, the codon usage of the viral genome is not optimal for bacterial expression. Accordingly, a gram-negative bacterium of the enterobacteraceae such as E. coli and Salmonella will have a different codon usage preference (National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, GenBank Release 150.0 [Nov. 25, 2005]) and would not be codon optimized. Further, these authors used antibiotic-containing plasmids and did not use stable chromosomal localization. Nor did these authors suggest heterologous fusions in order for the bacteria to secrete the antigens.
Kahn et al. (EP No. 0863211) have suggested use of a live bacterial vaccine with in vivo induction using the E. coli nitrite reductase promoter nirB. These authors further suggest that the antigenic determinant may be an antigenic sequence derived from a virus, including Influenza virus. However, Khan et al. did not describe a vaccine for avian influenza virus. They did not describe the appropriate antigens for an Avian Influenza virus, the hemagluttinin and neuraminidase, and did not describe how to genetically match an emerging Avian Influenza virus. Furthermore, it has become apparent that certain assumptions, and experimental designs described by Khan et al. regarding live Avian Influenza vaccines would not be genetically isolated or have improved genetic stability in order to provide a live vaccine for Avian Influenza that would be acceptable for use in humans. For example, Khan et al. state that any of a variety of known strains of bacteria that have an attenuated virulence may be genetically engineered and employed as live bacterial carriers (bacterial vectors) that express antigen polypeptides to elicit an immune response including attenuated strains of S. typhimurium and, for use in humans, attenuated strains of S. typhi (i.e., S. enterica serovar Typhi). In support of such broad teaching, they point to the importance of “non-reverting” mutations, especially deletion mutations which provide the attenuation. However, non-reversion only refers to the particular gene mutated, and not to the genome per se with its variety of IS200, phage and prophage elements capable of a variety of genetic recombinations and/or even transductions to other bacterial strains. Khan et al. did not describe a bacterial strain with improved genetic stability, nor methods to reduce genetic recombination, such as deletion of the IS200 elements. Khan et al. did not describe a bacterial strain with improved genetic stability by deletion of the bacteria phage and prophage elements nor limiting their transducing capacity. Neither did Khan et al. describe methods to minimize bacterial genetic exchange, such as constitutive expression of the P22 C2 phage repressor.
The above comments illustrate that Khan et al. have not provided the field with an effective vaccine against avian influenza. Clearly, needs remain for an genetically isolated and genetically stable, orally administered vaccine against Avian Influenza which is capable of rapid genetically matching an emerging pathogenic variant.